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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — a break
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. court — of law
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. scale — in music
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. bat — the animal
  12. pop — soda
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. cue — a signal
  15. court — for sport
  16. cue — a hint
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — music
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. scale — size or range
  24. cue — for pool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com